A former California GOP official said on Monday that President Donald Trump is facing an "unprecedented split" from his base, and that shows he is "not immune" to politics as many have thought since he was elected, according to a new report.
Over the last several months, Trump has faced growing criticism from within the Republican Party over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Some of his critics include MAGA voices like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Thomas Massie (R-KY). The House is also expected to vote this week on releasing the Epstein files, which the administration has sought to prevent.
Mike Madrid, the former political director for the California Republican Party, discussed what the split means for the Trump administration in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
“There’s an unprecedented split in Donald Trump’s base,” Madrid told the outlet. “It’s a sign that even Donald Trump is not immune to the physics of politics, which is that a lame duck leader is going to start to see people abandon him.”
Madrid's comments come after recently released emails from Epstein undercut claims Trump has made about his relationship with the disgraced financier. For instance, one email claimed Trump was at Epstein's house for multiple hours with one of Epstein's victims, despite Trump's claims that he didn't know Epstein well.